Dreaming of the Summer

Egg Salad

Picture it: Easter 2010. We arrive home from Mass and breakfast at the diner. The Salad is overjoyed at the sight of their baskets filled with goodies like bubbles, watering pales and Peeps. After a little quiet time, we head out onto the lawn to hunt for plastic eggs, filled with 1 jelly bean. We have to pace ourselves, Peeple. S spots an egg at the edge of the lawn and begins to run down the hill. She trips. She face plants. Eggs fly. Her brother and sister see that she is down and with vulture-like instinct, prey upon the scattered eggs, popping them open and downing the precious candy inside, all before S has made it to her feet.

I have video evidence.

Now imagine this scene playing out on a larger scale. More kids, bigger kids, strange kids bowling my Salad down for the sake of sweets. The thought makes my blood boil and sends chills down my spine simultaneously.

And so it was with relief, the Salad and I accepted the invitation to Ms. Amy's egg hunt. Meant only for our playgroup, kids that have been playing together for 2, some 3 years. These are kids that love each other and when they have to fight, they do it with grace. There were eggs aplenty, filled with treats (thanks for the peanut butter eggs, Amy!)
When the hunt was over, we feasted on fruit and snacks, played hide and seek, and had egg races. When they got tired of that, they used Ms. Amy's many ride-on toys to have high-speed races down a treacherous hill. Amazingly, we left with all of our teeth and nary a trip to the emergency room.

"Dust of Everyday Life"

Does it say more about the Salad's ethereal verve or my inability to keep a clean house that we often spend our time "catching" the dust?

Freedom for my Salad

I need some freedom
Freedom for my people
I want some freedom
Freedom
Freedom freedom for my people
I'd like some freedom
-U2

It was in this song's vein that we ended up at Freedom Playground last Wednesday. Just 5 days before, we awoke to snow flakes. Days of rain and clouds and cold had kept us inside. So when Miss Amy heard it would be mild, the message went out to playgroup - "Freedom Playground, we'll be there at 10:00." And so would we. We had the run of the playground, sand pit and tire swing included. We had a picnic lunch and managed to squeak 20 more happy minutes out of the day with a rousing game of Hide and Seek. Kids love that game. It's amazing really - I kept finding other kids that weren't with our playgroup, joining in on the fun. The more the merrier, unless you don't know how many kids are playing and forget to seek 1 or 2 of them. Whoops. It was a much needed day outdoors. The only crying that occurred was during the races down the triple slide when A's foot caught on the slide and she went "ass over tin cups," as my mother would say. I scooped her up, searched for signs of injury and then tried to hide my smile, because I thought, "Oooh, she went ass over tin cups!" And that expression in plain old hysterical.

He's got the Music in him

A helped me set the table for dinner the other night and asked that we put on some music. So, the Salad was eating and we're chatting, when M suddenly looks up from his sweet potato fries and says, "Mommy, I need to get up and dance." Far be it from me to put the kibosh on that. By all means, little man, get down to it. And so for 4 minutes, he fist-pumped to Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music".

Watch out Jersey Shore, you got a hot one comin' your way.

Streets of Philadelphia

At the first hint of spring, i.e. a 45 degree partly sunny day, I threw on our winter coats, picked up my mom and headed down to the Zoo. We searched for signs of spring - green buds, robins, flowers, etc. We had up close views of every animal we wanted to see, because hardly anyone else had ventured out. We stopped by the train ride on our way to the petting zoo and quickly spotted our friends Peter, Lucy and baby Thomas. It was a great surprise and I loved hearing M ask Peter, "Um, hey Peter, do you want to go feed the goats with us?" Peter was glad to oblige. I realized we were nearing the end of our rope when A started saying that her legs were tired. And it was a loooong way to the car. We said our goodbyes, sat in goose poop, cleaned up goose poop and had a potty break before leaving the children's area. A complained the whole uphill walk. Thankfully, we passed the carousel and I saw it as an opportunity to 1) rest weary legs and 2) provide a distraction. Worked like a charm for about 3 minutes until A asked me to pick her up. Finally we made it to the exit of the Zoo. Just as we did, the clouds parted, the sun shined (shone?) down and the angels sang. OK. The angel part didn't happen. But the clouds did part and the warm sun did shine down. It had been so long since the Salad had felt full-on sunlight, they did what felt natural.

They laid down.

On the sidewalk.

In Philadelphia.

Is it any wonder that we are sick all the time?

Freaking Automation

The toilet at Farley Plaza, on our way home from a spontaneous beach trip, may set our potty training back 2+ years. Damn self-flushing toilets.

And don't even get me started on the gale force winds pushed out of automatic hand dryers.